Thinking Traps
Disaster Darrell
Thinking the Worst: Deciding that the absolute worst outcome is going to happen without considering other, less negative possibilities.
You got 18 out of 20 questions right on a quiz, but you spend the whole night upset about the 2 you missed.
Negative Nina
One question we can ask our self to help change how we think and feel
What else could be true ?
Psychic Suki
Mind Reading: Believing you know exactly what someone else is thinking without looking for more likely explanations.
You texted a friend an hour ago and they haven't replied, so you assume they are ignoring you because they're bored of you
Psychic Suki
Two additional detective thinking prompts
Is there another way I can think about this situation and What would I say to a friend
Negative Nina
Ignoring the Positive: Focusing only on the negatives and telling yourself that the good things you do "don't count".
You have a small stomach ache and immediately think you are going to have to go to the hospital for surgery
Jumping Jack
Share a time when you had negative thinking and identify the thinking trap
explain here
Jumping Jack
Jumping to Conclusions: Thinking the chances of something bad happening are way higher than they actually are
You think there is a 90% chance you will fall off your bike today, even though you’ve practiced every day for a month.
Disaster Darrell
Why is it helpful to identify negative thinking patterns?
It helps us to see how our thinking is making us feel and then we can change our thinking to help change how we are feeling and what we do
Unfair Fred
Thinking that something is unfair because it is not exactly how you expected it to be or go.
You have to clean up after dinner and you think it is not fair or right that you have to clean up
Unfair Fred
What are strategies that help you change how you are thinking
No wrong answer